Friday, June 8, 2012

What I'm Digging

Happy Friday, friends! We had a bit of a harrowing day yesterday, chez English. Things were going great. The breeze was fine, there was no humidity, the birds were chirping, life was good. Hubs was in the garden and Huxley and I were on the patio, weeding. The tiny Englishman, however, decided, all of a sudden, to climb onto a patio chair, which pitched over backwards, landing his tiny forehead right into our raised stone flower bed. I ran to him as he sat there screaming, only to turn his tiny body towards me and discover a huge, bleeding gash.

Lots of heightened emotions and an ambulance ride later, we arrived at the hospital, where he underwent a dose of ketamine, some stitches, and a CT scan to rule out head trauma (he got sick three times after coming out of sedation). He's home and on the mend now, but it was a night fraught with worry and stress and nerves and crying 'round here.

Whew. Nothing really prepares you for the profound worry that accompanies parenting. I'd never before experienced such intense agony over the thought of losing someone before yesterday. I adore Hubs, and can't imagine not having him in my life. But my child, my tiny boy, my baby. Oh, to see him cry and be in pain and worry about his little head. Well, let's just hope that was the first and last such trip we'll ever take (fingers firmly crossed!).

Tomorrow we begin the first photo shoot for my new book. I am over the moon with excitement, especially since I'll be paired with Jen Altman, a photographer whose eye I trust with every core of my being. Also, she's just a generally righteous lady whose company I can't get enough of.

Whatever you do this weekend, wherever you go, whomever you share it with, may it be grand!

22 comments:

As a new mom (my little man is 4 months) I know these accidents are bound to happen and we can not and should not shelter our children from everything, still, I dread the day(s) when something similar will happen to us. Hope Huxley recovers quickly and his mommy and daddy have a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

Oh God! I'm so sorry. Terrifying. Our little man took two spills this week that ended in a bloody mouth and swollen lip. What is it about the head and face that makes them bleed so much? I know living on a farm that we will have many incidents. I keep beefing up the first aid kit.I hope Huxley's head heals up quickly.

Sorry to hear that the little guy took a spill, but glad very he's getting better. I hate to say it, but as an adventurous little dude on a farm, this probably won't be his last scrape, but to quote a very old episode of The Simpsons - "bones heal and chicks dig scars".

poor little huxley....they are such tough little cookies and soon bounce back. i remember once when we were on holidays in samoa (!) and many many miles from any health care, our youngest daughter fell head first onto a volcanic rock (trying to reach for a banana)....oh the blood, the blood! such a stressful couple of hours but happy to say it was a mere "flesh wound".

oh- it's the gushing blood that gets me every time! Because you cant' see the wound under it, you have no idea how deep it is. My daughter had a particularly bad incident with an animal one time (it attacked her face). My husband was in the house and he said he had never heard a sound like the scream that came out of me. And that he never wants to hear it again. Hugs to you- so happy that he is ok!

Head wounds are the WORST and bleed so much because the blood vessels are so close to the surface.

Our darling Liza was once out in our backyard with me while I was puttering and she decided to try and climb one of the brick piers holding up the iron fencing between us and our neighbor's yard. Unbeknownst to anyone, the mortar on one of bricks at the top had deteriorated and, yes, the brick came down on her pretty little forehead, right at the hairline.

We got the ER and they covered her up so that only her eyes were showing while they stitched her up and that was the WORST thing they could have done. She was terrorized, thrashing, screaming, wailing. I was beside myself seeing and hearing her like this and almost fainted. It was probably the worst parenting experience ever in my (thus far) 25 years.

There is something visceral triggered when your own, your flesh and blood, your child is in pain or distress. I liken what we feel to what a mother bear or lion senses and why they react as they do. I could have ripped the plastic surgeon's neck out at the time; fortunate for him, I was too busy consoling and soothing my daughter.

He'll be handsomer than ever and with lots of vitamin E oil, that scar will disappear. Kisses to him!

you poor things! i hope you both are on the mend...i too have been there, stiches and all with my little one, and i pray it's the first and only time. nothing like being a parent to make your heart pound. give him lots of hugs :)

Seriously. Parenting is a big old sign-up sheet for extreme worry! My second bruiser is 15 months, and oh the accidents right now. Astounding. So glad all is okay with your little man. Even the tiniest of bumps seem to be so scary! I always wonder if there is something unseen, something horrible, that I cannot tell with my eyes??... Which obviously sends my worry spiraling. I'm sure all us mama's are the same in that sense :).

My little guy just fractured his arm last week. I know how you feel. This was the first 'major' injury either of my kids has experienced. Much heart pounding and mama worries. Good thing they're resilient little things...

When Sofia was 14 months old she took a head dive off a chair onto our tile floor while we were making panettone. She had a scalp bruise which was a huge lump of blood on her scalp. She was totally fine but I was so scared and so made at myself. I know just how you feel mama! I'm glad to know he's on the mend. :)

Ian had something similar happen around the same age, he fell off a chair and hit his head on a desk. The horror when I turned him over and saw the gash in his forehead was unbelievable. We had to do the ER, stitches (holding him down all the while, me at his feet and my husband at his head)....he still has a scar at 7, it looks like Harry Potter's!

About Me

Making an attempt to craft a good life with my husband and young son in a small mountain community. I find pleasure in the light at dusk, atlases, hard cider, cat antics, dog breath, baby giggles, homemade ice cream and snorty laughter.
Author of the "Homemade Living" book series (Lark Books) which showcases topics related to small-scale homesteading and some of the diverse ways people are reconnecting with their food and food communities and taking up sustainable food practices.
I also host a bi-monthly column every Friday on Design*Sponge:http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/small-measures.
E-mail me directly at: ashleyadamsenglish(at)gmail.com.

The Best LIttle Chicken Coop in Candler

"The Big Problem is nothing more or less than the sum total of countless little everyday choices, most of them made by us and most of the rest of them made in the name of our needs and desires and preferences."-Michael Pollan